The Road through the Forest
by padme789
Summary: During a routine night patrol, Emma stumbles upon an unidentified Storybrooke resident's body found directly on the board line of the road leading into town causing a domino effect of events, and bringing to light a darker side to the fairy tales living along the quiet streets of Storybrooke, Maine. Set after the Season 3 Finale. Established/Complicated Swan Queen.


_A/N: My favorite versions of many faerie tales are by Charles Perrault and a number are almost too dark to appear on the show. Because the plots if drastically changed would never make since. With that said this is an idea working around the idea that other more disturbing events happen while primary events of the show take place. The core structure of this story is based loosely on the tv show The Bridge (US version) and The Tunnel (British/French version)._

_This chapter is a bit short but it's to set the frantic pace and mood._

_Read, Review, Enjoy._

**Title: **The Road through the Forest

**Rating: **M – language, strong sexual themes, drug and alcohol use, "character death"

**Word Count:** 996

**Summary:** During a routine night patrol, Emma stumbles upon an unidentified Storybrooke resident's body found directly on the board line of the road leading into town causing a domino effect of events, and bringing to light a darker side to the fairytales living along the quiet streets of Storybrooke, Maine.

ONCE UPON A TIME three or was it four weeks after the night no one in the quant town of Storybrooke, Maine ever dare speak aloud. A rather determined flaxen haired woman, with soft features hardened through life experience, road along the damp forest road to the town line. Tonight was her last night of the week on nightshift, and she was with her favorite coworker. The fun auburn haired woman she had grown to love not only as the older sister she never had, but the aunt she always dream of one day finding when she was a child living in her group home in Boston. Of course she would never say it aloud too worried about the reaction David may have if he learned she preferred to work with Ruby or Tink. But, then again any of the three was better than being paired off with Robin. That too good to be true—I know what bark you can chew to brush your teeth—Robin Hood, she'd never admit it, but Emma knew—she knew Regina assigned Robin to the Sheriff's department out of spite. Glorified park ranger that's what he was.

Just to subtly torture Emma for destroying her happy ending. How many times would she have to tell Regina she was sorry? That she didn't know, before the older woman would let bygones be bygones, and they could go back to the way things were. The way things were before the lost year of memories came back, and Regina remembered she had fallen for the thief who liked tights, at least that's how Mel Brooks saw it, and Emma liked his movies.

Suddenly the passenger door clicked Ruby now prepared to leap without warning from their moving cop car into whatever grassy forest tundra they happened to drive past.

"Woah." Emma activated the passenger side's automatic lock. The last thing she need was Granny, her mother, and not mention Belle on her case for allowing Ruby to swing open the cruiser's door, and jump out as it traveled the 'speed limit'. "What the hell Ruby, are you insane," her voice three octaves higher than normal.

Ruby, deputy sheriff slash waitress, looked to her 'superior', her 'god daughter', the savior and pouted. She actually pouted puppy-dog-eyes and all. "Just a few scrapes werewolf remember. I'd be right as rain tomorrow morning."

"I'm not letting you leap from the car, Ruby."

"Then slow down. So, I can get out. I smell something." Ruby sniffed the air. "I need to go check it out." The cruiser began to slow before speeding back up to its previous pace. "Emm—a," she shook the passenger side auto-locked handle, with a whine, the grown woman actually whined like a trapped dog. The type of trapped dog who knew she was going to the vet. "Please…" she shook the handle again. "I'll do it. I'll actually do it. The full moon is in two day. I can channel it without any problems right now."

There was a threat laced in that tone. The type of type of threat Emma hadn't the slightest clue, but she didn't falter Emma continued to drive eyes on the road up ahead. They were no more than ten maybe five minutes away from the boarder if she sped up.

Then the whimper came. Ruby actually whimpered, and had she not know a woman was sitting next to her, she may have actually thought a large dog had taken her place.

She hit the brake the cruiser. It jutted forward then back to a stop. Emma set the parking brake and unlocked the automatic locks. Ruby swung the door open and leapt out into the cold night air. Emma was going to kill the woman if all she needed was fresh air. How her mother and Belle could handle this amazing woman around this time of the month she could never understand. Even Regina found Ruby rather amusing during the days leading into her change.

The savior watched as the werewolf's body perked. Ruby rushed off to the north along the road side. "Emma, this way," Ruby yelled as she turned back to her friend and part-time coworker. "I said I smelt something. Come on!" auburn haired deputy sheriff–waitress turned back to the road walking quickly along.

Seriously—seriously they could have just stayed in the cruiser. Emma sighed; maybe Ruby had trouble catching the scent of what it was she tracking from inside the cop car. It was a bit getting dingy.

"Alright I'm coming," yelled out Emma as she set a slow jog in attempt to catch up. "Slow down. I said was coming." She slid to a stop her body almost colliding with Ruby has she tripped over a stray piece of assault. "Ruby what the hell…" Emma trailed off finally seeing why Ruby had stopped so abruptly.

Under a flickering light of a makeshift lamp placed at angle atop a pole just above the boarder lay a body. A motionless body half way in and half way out.

"Shit." Emma pulled out her phone and hit number one on her speed dial before tapping on the speaker.

"This had better be good Ms. Swan," barked the groggy voice of Regina Mills through the phone's speaker. "It's…one in the morning."

Emma stared at the phone then up at her friend. Ruby eyed her back motioned to the smart phone in the sheriff's left hand. Emma blinked her eyes traveling back in the direction of the lifeless body before being pulled of trance as Regina's voiced echoed once more of the speaker.

"Ms. Swan, Ms. Swan—Ms. Swan! I am hanging up if I do not hear your voice in three—two—on…"

"Regina you have to get out here now, like right now, now. We have a problem at the borderline," Emma blurted cutting off Regina before she could finish counting down and hanging up from her end of the awkward conversation.


End file.
